I WAS recently duped into believing that the "car-sized bays" on Davygate were legal parking areas after the daytime restrictions were lifted ("The Asphalt Bungle", January 21).

Despite the many cars present when I parked, my son and I scoured the street for signs of any restrictions. Finding none, we left our car believing it to be legally parked. On my return I was horrified to find that not only mine but every car in the street had been served with a ticket.

If I were the type to illegally park and risk being caught, then I would accept the consequences. But having never knowingly parked illegally before, despite living in York for 50-plus years, I felt that this was totally unfair.

It was suggested in the article that this is a regular spot for "illegal" parking, which begs the question why has City of York Council not made it clearer long before now that this is the case? Surely it would only take a few repeats of the offence to point out that there was a problem.

One can only assume that it suits the council's purposes to keep this area, and probably many others, intentionally vague so as to fill the coffers and replace the thousands of wasted pounds (firework fiasco, for one instance) which happen on an-all-too regular basis.

After all, wasting money is the only area in which this council could claim to be expert.

Well done to the man from the parking department for blowing the whistle on this apparent deceit and to the Evening Press, the champion of many causes, for publishing it.

Terry Nicholson,

Gorse Hill,

Dunnington,

York.

Updated: 09:40 Wednesday, January 25, 2006